Hug Your Copywriter
By / / As an ACD I spend a lot of time on conference calls, so it wasn’t a big surprise that I found myself on one the other day. What was surprising was the energy on this one. Everyone was leaning in. People seemed more excited then usual. There was an unsaid understanding in the room and on the other end of the phone. It was like everyone suddenly remembered why they got into this business in the first place. On the monitor was the topic conversation: One word—and a picture that added up to one huge idea. When I realized that the guy responsible for the concept was nowhere to be seen I started tallying up the titles in the room: Creative Director, Account Director, Associate Creative Director, Regional Account Director, Sr. Art Director, Creative Technologist, Planner—not to mention the clients and partner agencies on speaker-phone. Everyone was buzzing to bring an idea to life. I couldn’t help but think to myself: “all these people finally have something worthwhile to do thanks to a imaginative, articulate copywriter.” Thank god. People don’t work for people as much as they work for ideas. Nothing motivates or inspires us like a well-articulated thought. Technology doesn’t drive business—ideas do, which is something that is easy to forget. As an industry we tend to value the flashy and new—over the tried and true, which is a big mistake. From my experience, no one is a more efficient generator of the ideas that drive our industry than a good-old copywriter. A good writer can articulate a vision for an ad, an agency, or a brand. A good writer shows us what it could be—what it should be, and can even outline a plan to get there. For me it all boils down to this: If you’re doing boring work it’s probably because you have a boring writer. If you have a good one—love them, nurture them, and please excuse them for being a little weird. Read more of Wade Campbell on his blog and on Twitter.
Comments
Brian Wilkens March 16, 2011
I LOVE this post. Nice
I LOVE this post. Nice insights Mr. Campbell.
gigigriffis March 16, 2011
Love it!
Love and respect go
Love it!
Love and respect go a long way–fostering our creativity.
Eric A. March 16, 2011
Nice one Wade. Without good
Nice one Wade. Without good copy the whole thing will fall apart. Of course, as an account person, I couldn’t help but think of how expensive that phone call must have been….
Rich Black March 16, 2011
Amen.
Amen.
larry hinkle March 16, 2011
I could use a hug.
I could use a hug.
Chris Maley March 16, 2011
Wade you should change your
Wade you should change your name to Mister Awesome Pants.
lar March 16, 2011
Nice insight.
Also, please
Nice insight.
Also, please remember to hug your Art Directors, who toil tirelessly in dark offices all night to make sure ideas become executions instead of floating in the ether of unrealized potential.
Mick March 17, 2011
“Word.”
“Word.”
Come on now March 17, 2011
get the fuck over yourself.
get the fuck over yourself.
The Denver Egotist March 17, 2011
No need to comment if you’re
No need to comment if you’re saying stuff like that, troll.
adorf March 17, 2011
@Come on now cracked my shit
@Come on now cracked my shit up though. Opposing viewpoints can’t be hated on just for hating right?
The Denver Egotist March 17, 2011
It’s not furthering the
It’s not furthering the conversation. It’s like having your dog shit on someone else’s lawn and not picking it up. It’s thoughtless, rude and polluting. It also makes Denver look like a bunch of pricks. Any of that sound good to you?
The monolith March 17, 2011
While I love the post,
While I love the post, opposing viewpoints and pricks are a part of our business and every ad town.
The Denver Egotist March 17, 2011
We like opposing viewpoints
We like opposing viewpoints and don’t mind assholes. It’s the way they handle giving criticism that needs an overhaul.
This might be a stupid question, but March 17, 2011
What’s “the fuck” and why
What’s “the fuck” and why should one place it over themselves?
Brian Wilkens March 17, 2011
Wade is so conceited that he
Wade is so conceited that he spends his free time writing blog posts that praise the people he manages.
What a jerk.
philosophycommunication March 20, 2011
I worked with Wade at integer
I worked with Wade at integer during my 11 years there. He’s good people.
Randall
Wade March 20, 2011
Thanks for all the comments
Thanks for all the comments everyone. (Sounds like someone else needs a hug though). Cheers.
Felix March 22, 2011
My piece on copywriters gives
My piece on
Anonymous January 11, 2013
AN* imaginative, creative
AN* imaginative, creative copywriter.
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